The hacker group NoName057(16) has been active since the outbreak of the Russian war against Ukraine, carrying out DDoS attacks against critical infrastructure during (political) high-level events. The hacktivist group conducted 14 attacks in Germany, some lasting several days and affecting about 230 organizations, including arms factories, energy suppliers, and government institutions.
During last year's European elections, attempts were also made to shut down the internet all across Europe. In Sweden, authorities and banking websites were targeted, and in Switzerland during official speeches by Ukrainian President Zelensky at the peace summit for Ukraine in June 2024. Most recently, the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, at the end of June was the target of the internet attackers.
To carry out their attacks, the group recruited supporters via a messaging service. It is estimated that the hackers could use the PCs of approximately 4,000 users to participate in the DDoS attacks. The group also built its own botnet with hundreds of servers worldwide.